From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mac Sebree
Mac Sebree
George McClellan Sebree III (August 26, 1932 – March 7, vate Varnish.[6] In the case of PRN, Sebree was the maga-
Sebree,
2010), better known as Mac Sebree was an American zine’s publisher, and he also compiled a regular column
journalist, writer and publisher whose area of expertise of urban rail transit news, which was published in each
was urban mass transit, particularly urban rail transit. He issue from the mid-1980s until 1993, when PRN was sold.
was also a businessman, being owner and president of He followed with great interest the revival in the 1980s
the publishing company, Interurban Press, from 1975 un- of streetcars as a significant public transit mode in North
til 1993.[1] In addition to writing and publishing historical America, modernized as "light rail", telling a Los Angeles
material, he also followed – and regularly reported on – Times reporter in a 1983 interview, "The United States let
contemporary developments concerning rail transit, and a tremendous national asset go to waste when it junked
by the 1990s he had become an expert on light rail in its trolley systems, but the further the trolleys fade into
North America.[1] the past, the larger the number of people who would like
to have them back."[3] Indeed, several cities did bring
Early life and first career back rail transit, mostly in the form of light rail, in the
1980s and 1990s, and Sebree documented these develop-
G. M. Sebree adopted the nickname "Mac" at an early ments as editor of three editions of the North American
Sebree,
age and went by the name Mac Sebree both personally Light Rail Annual and User’s Guide (in 1992–94, published by
and professionally, for most of his life, only modifying Interurban Press/Pentrex).[1]
Sebree.
this slightly in 1995, to G. Mac Sebree Growing up in Although he authored few books himself, Sebree edit-
Omaha, Nebraska, he later lived in Albuquerque, New ed several books written by others, including When Okla-
Mexico, and attended the University of New Mexico. He hama Took the Trolley (1980)[7] and The Railroad Artistry of
was editor of the university’s student newspaper (at the Howard Fogg (1999).[8]
time named the New Mexico Lobo) from June to September In 1993, Sebree retired from full-time work, sold In-
1954.[2] Later, he was employed as a reporter for an Al- terurban Press to Pentrex and moved from southern Cali-
buquerque newspaper.[3] He worked as a newspaperman fornia to Vancouver, Washington.[1] From his Vancouver
from 1956 until 1982,[1] including 20 years covering home, he worked part-time as a transit consultant.[4] He
transportation for United Press International (UPI) and also took on the job of editor of Motor Coach Age, the quar-
the Scripps newspapers,[4] the UPI stint lasting 11 terly magazine of the Motor Bus Society,[4] and held that
years.[5] For several years he additionally worked as a position from January 1995 until fall 2003.[9]
salesman for a syndicated service providing illustrations He was the "International Editor" (one of the con-
for newspaper advertisements,[3] the Stamps-Conhaim tributing editors) for the quarterly New Electric Railway
Creative Newspaper Advertising Service. He moved from Journal from fall 1996 until the cessation of publication of
Albuquerque to Southern California in the late 1960s. that magazine, in late 1998. His contributions to TNERJ al-
so included articles on New Orleans’ plans to expand its
Transit writing and publishing heritage streetcar system,[10] as well as on light rail and
streetcars in Australia, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
In 1975, Sebree inherited from his friend Ira Swett a small In 2001, G. Mac Sebree introduced a new, monthly
publishing company named Interurbans, which pub- news column on rail transit in Trains magazine,[11] enti-
lished books about streetcars and interurban electric tled "City Rail", to report developments related to light
railways.[3][6] A longtime railfan, particularly of street- rail, streetcars, rapid transit and commuter rail in North
cars and trolleybuses, Sebree had already done some America, and he was the column’s author/editor until
writing and editing for Interurbans, including co-author- 2003.
ing the books, Transit’s Stepchild: The Trolley Coach (LCCN
73-84356) and The Trolley Coach in North America (LCCN
74-20367), in 1973 and 1974, respectively. Sebree re- Philanthropy
named the business "Interurban Press" and, after adding In 2005, Sebree donated $20,000 to the Railway & Loco-
a partner, Jim Walker (as vice president), expanded the motive Historical Society (based in Sacramento, Califor-
company’s output.[3] nia), to establish a trust fund to provide permanent sup-
Under Mac Sebree’s ownership, Interurban acquired port for publication of the organization’s longtime jour-
the monthly railfan-oriented magazines, Pacific RailNews nal, Railroad History.[12] In 2008 Sebree donated $10,000,
(PRN) and Passenger Train Journal, and the bimonthly Pri- and pledged $90,000 more, to the Orange Empire Railway
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mac Sebree
Museum to support the construction of a permanent li- [9] Motor Coach Age, January–March 1998 issue, p. 24.
brary and archive building.[13] Motor Bus Society. ISSN 0739-117X.
[10] Sebree, G. Mac (Fall 1996). "New Orleans Joys". The
References New Electric Railway Journal (Chicago, IL: City Rail
Ltd.): 16–23. ISSN 1048-3845.
[1] ^ Ryll, Thomas (November 29, 1994). "Felida man http://www.heritagetrolley.com/
tracks light rail" (profile of Mac Sebree, Felida TNERJNewOrleans1.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
being a neighborhood of Vancouver, Washington). [11] Trains magazine, June 2001 issue, p. 6. Kalmbach
The Columbian. Publishing. ISSN 0441-0934.
[2] University of New Mexico - Student Newspaper [12] Lester, David C. (ed.) (Fall 2005). "Mac Sebree
Editors (PDF). UNM. Retrieved 2010-09-12. Named First Distinguished Friend" (PDF). Railway &
[3] ^ MacDougall, Kent (May 19, 1983). "Books Ring Locomotive Historical Society Newsletter (Sacramento,
Bell With Devotees: Publisher Specializes in History CA: Railway & Locomotive Historical Society) 25
of Trolleys". Los Angeles Times, p. 1. (3&4): 4. http://rlhs.org/rlhsnews/pdfs/
[4] ^ Stewart, Bill (October 2, 2000). "Motor Bus nl25-34.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
Society members will go all through the town for [13] Railway Museum Quarterly (Summer 2008) (PDF), p.
convention". The Oregonian, p. B4. 15. The Association of Railway Museums. Retrieved
[5] Sebree, Mac; and Ward, Paul (1973). Transit’s 2010-09-10.
Stepchild, The Trolley Coach (Interurbans Special 58). Persondata
Los Angeles: Interurbans. LCCN 73-84356.
Name Sebree, Mac
[6] ^ Klein, Karen E. (April 26, 1992). "Flood Brings a
Deluge of Book Orders". Los Angeles Times. Alternative names
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-26/news/ Short description
we-1132_1_chicago-disaster. Retrieved 2010-07-10. Date of birth 1932-08-26
[7] Library of Congress listing, When Oklahoma Took the
Trolley. Retrieved 2010-09-12. Place of birth
[8] Library of Congress listing, The Railroad Artistry of Date of death 2010-03-07
Howard Fogg. Retrieved 2010-09-12. Place of death
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mac_Sebree&oldid=456667389"
Categories:
• American book publishers (people)
• American magazine publishers (people)
• American magazine editors
• People from Glendale, California
• People from Vancouver, Washington
• Rail transport writers
• 1932 births
• 2010 deaths
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